Pizza
Classic homemade pizza — thin crispy crust, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil. The Italian-American basic that's the foundation of every other pizza. Master this and you can make any variation.
Prep Time
18 min
Cook Time
45 min
Servings
2
Calories
357 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Dough½ batch
- Cheese½ cup
- Tomato Sauce½ cup
- Pizza Sauce½
- Pizza Dough½ ball
- Mozzarella½ cup
- Oregano½
- Olive Oil1 tbsp
All quantities scaled automatically from 2 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 2 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Dough0.5 batch
- Cheese0.5 cup
- Tomato Sauce0.5 cup
- Pizza Sauce0.5
- Pizza Dough0.5 ball
- Mozzarella0.5 cup
- Oregano0.5
- Olive Oil1 tbsp
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven as hot as it goes — typically 500°F (260°C). Put a pizza stone or baking steel on the middle rack at least 45 minutes before baking.
- 2
Stretch 1 ball of pizza dough on a floured surface or parchment paper to a 12-inch circle. Don't roll — stretching preserves air bubbles.
- 3
Spread ½ cup of pizza sauce (or crushed San Marzano tomatoes with salt and olive oil) thinly across the dough, leaving a 1-inch border.
- 4
Top with 8 oz of low-moisture mozzarella (shredded) or fresh mozzarella (drained and torn). Add 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan.
- 5
Slide the pizza (with parchment) onto the hot stone. Bake 7-10 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown with charred spots and the cheese is bubbly.
- 6
Slide onto a cutting board. Top with fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of good olive oil, a sprinkle of flaky salt. Slice into 8 wedges. Eat immediately.
Watch how to make Pizza
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Hot oven. 500°F minimum. Hotter is better.
- 2.Stretch, don't roll. Rolling presses out air bubbles. Hand-stretching preserves airy crust.
- 3.Pat fresh mozzarella dry. Fresh mozz has tons of water. Patting dry prevents swampy pizza.
- 4.Basil after baking. Basil cooked in the oven turns black and bitter. Add after.
🔬 Why It Works
Classic pizza succeeds with quality ingredients (good dough, real tomatoes, fresh cheese), proper technique (stretched not rolled, properly hot oven), and the right finish (basil and oil after baking). A hot stone gives crispy bottom and chewy interior. The simplicity is the point — there's nothing to hide behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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